Fish Out of Water

Caribou Crash Course: Editor Learns Barista Basics

New video series features a Patch editor trying a new job every week.

Editor's Note: Today, Patch is debuting the first of four new video series. "Fish Out of Water" will feature Minnetonka Patch Local Editor Katelynn Metz trying her hand at a new job somewhere in the west metro each week. New editions of Fish Out of Water will appear every Monday. Not to brag, but I seem to take to most new jobs pretty well. And in my three-plus decades, I’ve done many jobs besides being a journalist, including waitressing, ice-cream scooping, babysitting, teaching nutrition and even answering phones at a nunnery (you’d be surprised how many calls the ladies do get!) So although nervous, I felt pretty confident when I put on the Caribou Coffee apron for this first installment of "Fish out of Water." But let me tell you, …

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Bites Nearby: Aji in Hopkins

This new restaurant offers standard Japanese fare like sushi and sashimi, but also boasts bento boxes and food fresh from the hibachi grill.

Editor's Note: Bites Nearby is a new weekly feature meant to highlight restaurants worth checking out in and around St. Louis Park. Restaurateur Alex Chen has brought good taste to Hopkins’ Mainstreet—literally. Aji, the restaurant he opened Sunday, means “good taste” in Japanese. Chen’s restaurant specializes in sushi and sashimi, with a fine dining ambience. It also has a hibachi grill, soups and other foods for Japanese and American palates. “I just want people to relax, take the time to sit and enjoy the meal and atmosphere,” he said. Chen, who even designed the restaurant’s logo, has been hard at work since before Thanksgiving preparing the space at 712 Mainstreet. The restaurant opened Jan. 23 to great fanfare. The food isn’t just …

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